ScienceDaily: Latest Science News

Predatory Bacterial Swarm Uses Rippling Motion To Reach Prey Posted: 15 Nov 2008 05:00 PM PST Like something from a horror movie, the swarm of bacteria ripples purposefully toward their prey, devours it and moves on. Researchers are studying this behavior in Myxococcus xanthus, a bacterium commonly found in soil, which preys on other bacteria.

Major Advance In Cancer Radiotherapy Posted: 15 Nov 2008 05:00 PM PST Radical improvements in outcome for many cancer sufferers are in prospect following one of the most significant advances in radiotherapy since x-rays were first used to treat a tumor in 1904. The use of charged particles as an alternative to x-ray or gamma ray radiation can extend the scope of radiotherapy to tumors previously requiring invasive surgery, while speeding up diagnosis and reducing collateral damage to surrounding tissue.

Repairing DNA Damage: Researchers Discover Critical Process In Cancer Treatment Posted: 15 Nov 2008 05:00 PM PST From the sun's UVA rays to tobacco smoke, our environment is chock-full of DNA-damaging agents that can lead to cancer. Thanks to our body's DNA repair mechanisms, however, the effects of many carcinogens can be reversed thereby preventing the formation of tumours. Now, scientists have identified a new biochemical pathway which controls DNA repair.

Predictive Tests And Early Treatment Delay Progression Of Blood Cell Cancer, Researchers Find Posted: 15 Nov 2008 05:00 PM PST Mayo Clinic researchers say they have moved closer to their goal of providing personalized care for a common blood cell cancer. They have found that the use of predictive biomarkers along with two targeted treatments significantly delays the need for conventional chemotherapy in patients with early-stage, but high-risk, chronic lymphoid leukemia.

Alternative Fuels: Retooled Approach May Make Bio-based Butanol More Competitive With Ethanol Posted: 15 Nov 2008 05:00 PM PST A modified method of producing biobutanol could make the fuel more competitive with ethanol as a clean-burning alternative to gasoline.

Doctors Must Look After Their Health, Too, Study Recommends Posted: 15 Nov 2008 05:00 PM PST Short term counseling followed by a modest cut in work hours may help reduce emotional exhaustion and sick leave in doctors, according to a new study.

Mysterious Microbe May Play Important Role In Ocean Ecology Posted: 15 Nov 2008 11:00 AM PST An unusual microorganism discovered in the open ocean may force scientists to rethink their understanding of how carbon and nitrogen cycle through ocean ecosystems. Researchers characterized the new microbe by analyzing its genetic material and said it appears to be an atypical member of the cyanobacteria that fixes nitrogen but lacks the genes for photosynthesis.

Unraveling Mystery Of Brain Aneurysms Posted: 15 Nov 2008 11:00 AM PST Researchers have taken the first critical steps in unraveling the mysteries of brain aneurysms, the often fatal rupturing of blood vessels that afflicts 500,000 people worldwide each year and nearly killed Vice President-elect Joseph Biden two decades ago.

Clicking Knees Are Antelopes' Way Of Saying 'Back Off' Posted: 15 Nov 2008 11:00 AM PST Knee clicking can establish mating rights among antelopes. A study of eland antelopes has uncovered the dominance displays used by males to settle disputes over access to fertile females, without resorting to genuine violence.

Improving Diagnosis Of Genetic Disorders Posted: 15 Nov 2008 11:00 AM PST An Australian-led global initiative to improve the diagnosis of genetic disorders and reduce errors in the reporting of genetic variations has just been published in the scientific journal Science.

New Nanocluster To Boost Thin Films For Semiconductors Posted: 15 Nov 2008 11:00 AM PST Researchers have synthesized an elusive metal-hydroxide compound in sufficient and rapidly produced yields, potentially paving the way for improved precursor inks that could boost semiconductor capabilities for large-area applications.

Caring For The Caregiver: Redefining The Definition Of Patient Posted: 15 Nov 2008 11:00 AM PST One quarter of all family caregivers of Alzheimer's disease patients succumb to the stress of providing care to a loved one and become hospital patients themselves, according to a new study in the Journal of General Internal Medicine.

Protecting Neurons Could Halt Alzheimer's, Parkinson's Diseases Posted: 15 Nov 2008 05:00 AM PST Researchers have identified a group of chemical compounds that slow the degeneration of neurons, a condition behind old-age diseases like Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

Herpes Drug Inhibits HIV Replication, But With A Price Posted: 15 Nov 2008 05:00 AM PST The anti-herpes drug acyclovir can also directly slow down HIV infection by targeting the reverse transcriptase enzyme, researchers report. This beneficial effect does pose a risk though, as HIV-infected cells treated with acyclovir promote the emergence of multi-drug resistant HIV variants.

Impact Of Climate Warming On Fish Posted: 15 Nov 2008 05:00 AM PST International consensus on the reality of climate change is now apparent: global warming is ascribable in large part to human activities. It is causing rapid deterioration of the environment and is increasing the threat to biodiversity. However, the mechanisms of its impact are still poorly known, particularly in the aquatic environment. At Cemagref, two researchers, who have been analysing the freshwater fish community over the two last decades, have observed profound changes that are more intense and long-lasting than predicted.

Therapy May Block Expansion Of Breast Cancer Cells Posted: 15 Nov 2008 05:00 AM PST Breast cancer stem cells are known to be involved in therapy resistance and the recurrence of cancerous tumors. A new study shows the mechanisms governing stem cell expansion in breast cancer (called Notch activity), and finds that therapy targeting a protein called cyclin D1 may block the expansion of cancerous stem cells.

New Treatment Method For Canine Eye Diseases Developed Posted: 15 Nov 2008 05:00 AM PST Researchers are exploring a new method of getting medicine to the eyes of infected dogs that is more effective and reliable than using eye drops.

With GPS, They Know Where You Are Posted: 15 Nov 2008 05:00 AM PST How can we keep our personal location private in a society where GPS-enabled devices and internet-connected computing is ubiquitous? That is the question posed by a computing and legal specialist in Belgium.

Vitamin C Lowers Levels Of Inflammation Biomarker Considered Predictor Of Heart Disease Posted: 14 Nov 2008 08:00 PM PST For people who have elevated levels of C-reactive protein, a predictor of heart disease, taking vitamin C supplements can help lower levels of the inflammation biomarker, according to a new study. The new findings come just days after a major, eight-year clinical trial failed to show that vitamins C or E could cut the risk of heart attacks or strokes.

Iron-based Materials May Unlock Superconductivity’s Secrets Posted: 14 Nov 2008 08:00 PM PST Researchers at NIST are decoding the mysterious mechanisms behind the high-temperature superconductors that industry hopes will find wide use in next-generation systems for storing, distributing and using electricity.

Gender Is Key Factor In Determining Overall Survival Of Lung Cancer Patients Posted: 14 Nov 2008 08:00 PM PST Even though some combinations of gender, race and/or marital status can factor into the overall survival of nonoperative non-small cell lung cancer patients, gender is the most significant factor impacting overall survival, according to a study presented at the 2008 Chicago Multidisciplinary Symposium in Thoracic Oncology, sponsored by ASTRO, ASCO, IASLC and the University of Chicago.

'Arid Aquaculture' Among Livelihoods Promoted To Relieve Worsening Pressure On World's Drylands Posted: 14 Nov 2008 08:00 PM PST Using ponds filled with salty, undrinkable water for fish production is one of several options proven effective as an alternative livelihood in parts of the world's expanding drylands. Researchers say alternatives to traditional crop farming and livestock rearing need to be put in place in drylands to mitigate human causes of desertification.

Disease Modeling: Mathematical Models Resolve Controversy Over Nicotine Addiction Posted: 14 Nov 2008 08:00 PM PST Human disease research produces an enormous amount of data from different sources such as animal models, high throughput genetic screening of human tissue, and in vitro laboratory experiments. This data operates at different levels and scales including genes, molecules, cells, tissues and whole organs, embodying a huge amount of potentially valuable insight that current computer modeling approaches often fail to exploit properly.

Pelvis Dated To 1.2 Million Years Ago Shows Ancestors May Have Been Born With Big Heads Posted: 14 Nov 2008 05:00 PM PST Discovery of the most intact female pelvis of Homo erectus may cause scientists to reevaluate how early humans evolved to successfully birth larger-brained babies. A reconstruction of the 1.2 million-year-old pelvis discovered in 2001 in the Gona Study Area at Afar, Ethiopia, that has led researchers to speculate early man was better equipped than first thought to produce larger-brained babies. The actual fossils remain in Ethiopia.

By Combining Technologies, Researchers Rapidly Hunt Down And Find New Genes That Lead To Cancer Posted: 14 Nov 2008 05:00 PM PST Using a new approach that combines scientific technologies to hunt down genetic changes involved in cancer, researchers have discovered 13 tumor suppressor genes that, when mutated, can lead to liver cancers. Twelve of those genes had never been linked to cancer before, according to a new study.

Breakthrough In Cell-type Analysis Offers New Ways To Study Development And Disease Posted: 14 Nov 2008 05:00 PM PST Many diseases are very particular about the types of cells they attack, laying waste to one population while sparing its nearly identical neighbors for no apparent reason. New research for the first time enables scientists to carefully study the biomolecular differences among types of cells in order to learn what makes some susceptible to attack and others resistant.

Luminescence Shines New Light On Proteins Posted: 14 Nov 2008 05:00 PM PST A chance discovery by a team of scientists using optical probes means that changes in cells in the human body could now be seen in a completely different light.

How Our Senses Combine To Give Us A Better View Of The World Posted: 14 Nov 2008 05:00 PM PST Although each of our five senses seem to be their own entity, recent studies have indicated that our senses blend together, to help us better perceive our environment. New findings reveal that if a stimulation of the leg is not initially detected, this sensation may be perceived by the addition of a visual or auditory signal. Additionally, a tactile stimulus combined with a specific level of auditory stimulation results in optimal detection of that sensation.

Turning Urine Into Water For Space Station Recycling Posted: 14 Nov 2008 02:00 PM PST Two hundred and fifty miles above the Earth puts you a long way from the nearest kitchen tap. And at $15,000 a pint, the cost of shipping fresh water aboard the space shuttle is, well, astronomical.

Controllers Cheer As Data Arrive From NASA's Spirit Rover Posted: 14 Nov 2008 08:00 AM PST NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit communicated via the Mars Odyssey orbiter Nov. 13 right at the time when ground controllers had told it to, prompting shouts of "She's talking!" among the rover team at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.

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